Klopp has his say on impressive pre-season duo

Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp has shed some light on his plans for Daniel Sturridge and Curtis Jones, who have both caught the eye during the club’s pre-season games.

Sturridge looked set to leave Anfield after being loaned to West Bromwich Albion in January but is now expected to stay after bagging three goals in five friendlies and showcasing his versatility by dropping into a deeper role.

The Englishman has long been regarded as a prolific striker when fit, but a succession of injuries has disguised his abilities.

Klopp admits it will be difficult to dramatically improve Sturridge’s physical condition, but has no doubts over the player’s game-changing capabilities.

“We’re not in doubt – and nobody was ever in doubt – about his quality,” he told the club website. “In this moment he looks really good, to be honest. That’s cool – really cool for him and cool for us.

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – Saturday, September 9, 2017: Liverpool’s Daniel Sturridge and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain warm-up before the FA Premier League match between Manchester City and Liverpool at the City of Manchester Stadium. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

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“[It’s] a very important moment for him. I am in talks with him, what he feels. I don’t want to make him the most physically strongest player in the squad or whatever.

“The most physically strong player in the squad cannot play football like Daniel Sturridge and he has no possibility to be that, to be the marathon man of the team, but he can be a very decisive player. It’s a good moment and hopefully it will stay like that.”

17-year-old Jones, meanwhile, has underlined his huge potential with a series of assured displays in midfield.

Jones has earned considerable praise for his dribbling abilities, but Klopp now wants to make sure there is a tangible end product.

“He has to adapt to the group; the group have adapted already to him, he was in last year together with Rafa Camacho, another really young boy,” he explained.

“Football-wise he, of course, stepped up, that’s how it is. He is a tall boy but still very mobile, good at dribbling and stuff like that, but now we need to make sure he finds the right moment to pass the ball – and dribbling is not for dribbling, it’s to change the situation in a better way and then to pass the ball.

SEVILLE, SPAIN – Tuesday, November 21, 2017: Liverpool’s Curtis Jones during the UEFA Youth League Group E match between Sevilla FC and Liverpool FC at the Ciudad Deportiva Jose Ramon Cisneros. (Pic by David Rawcliffe/Propaganda)

“But it’s easier to train that than to show somebody how to dribble, which is quite natural. It’s cool. Physical-wise [he is good] and [he] has talent as well, but there is a long way to go.”

Klopp is also keeping tabs on his development off the pitch as the player deals with the challenges of his growing status.

“That’s a big challenge for all of us, how will he react to all the different public things, family at home, friends at home, there’s a lot of different challenges ahead,” Klopp said.

“Because we’ve had these young boys around in the last few years, I think we are little bit better at dealing with that.

“We don’t have them for 24 hours, just seven or eight hours at the training ground, so there are 16 hours where a lot of things can happen. We will work on that. We see his potential and want to help him to be the best he can be. As long as he is ready for that, the future is bright.”

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Source: anfieldhq.com